How Do I Know If I Have An Fha Loan

What Are The Types Of Fha Loans

The FHA offers a variety of loan options, from fairly standard purchase loans to products designed to meet highly specific needs. Here’s an overview of FHA loans commonly used to buy a house:

» MORE:;Learn more about FHA 203 loans and Title I loans

What Are The Closing Costs For Sellers

HUD allows sellers to contribute money toward the buyers closing costs. Whether or not you choose to do that is up to you. Those details are typically determined during the negotiating stage and written into the real estate purchase agreement.

Generally speaking, HUD allows sellers to;contribute up to 6%of the sales price toward the Borrowers origination fees, other closing costs and discount points. All of this is outlined in HUD Handbook 4000.1, also known as the Single Family Housing Policy Handbook.

These are some of the most common questions sellers have regarding FHA loans. If you have a question that is not included above, feel free to send it to us via email.

What Is It Like To Get An Fha Loan Right Now

Although HUD’s minimum requirements for FHA loans havent changed,;FHA-approved lenders seem to favor applicants with higher credit scores. Nearly 74% of FHA borrowers had FICO scores of 650 or above in June 2021, with an average score of 677 for FHA purchase loans, according to data from ICE Mortgage Technology.

On average, it took longer to close an FHA purchase loan in June 2021 than in June 2020 54 days compared with 46 days a year earlier. Conventional purchase loans, meanwhile, closed in an average of 49 days in June 2021, according to ICE data.

HUD data shows that from April to June 2021, over 30% of FHA loans were for amounts between $250,000 and $399,000 by far the most common range. Nearly 70% of FHA loans issued during this period covered at least 96% of the homes estimated value, implying that most FHA buyers are making the minimum FHA down payment of 3.5%.

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Benefits Of The Fha Loan

The FHA insures loans against default for lender protection. While they protect lenders, the goal is to prevent foreclosure and make homes affordable for more people.

Having an FHA loan gives borrowers certain options even beyond the initial benefits of loan underwriting. The FHA has streamline refinancing for borrowers who are current on monthly payments; it doesn’t require an appraisal or full underwriting. As long as borrowers would be in a more favorable position afterward including closing costs, a streamline is a great way to reduce monthly mortgage payments.

Additionally, the FHA has loan modification programs available to borrowers who are experiencing financial hardship or are upside down on the mortgage. The FHA has loan foreclosure prevention counselors to walk borrowers through eligible programs that range from loan interest or principal reduction, the extension of loan terms, or a potential forbearance. There are even programs that can help reduce or eliminate second liens to further assist borrowers in financial duress.

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What Is An Fha Loan

An FHA loan is a government-backed mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration. FHA home loans require lower minimum credit scores and down payments than many conventional loans, which makes them especially popular with first-time homebuyers. In fact, according to FHAs 2020 Annual Report, more than 83 percent of all FHA loan originations were for borrowers purchasing their first homes.

While the government insures these loans, they are actually offered by mortgage lenders that have received the FHAs stamp of approval.

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How Do I Know If My Loan Is Fha Insured

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development oversees all Federal Housing Administration loans. Your loan documents or your servicing agency provides the information necessary to determine if you have an FHA loan insured under the program. This information is important in determining options for loan modifications, refinancing and potential grant funding.

Less Than Stellar Credit

An FHA loan is more lenient in its credit requirements than a traditional loan, which means you will be dealing with buyers who may run into issues getting the loan finalized.

FHA loans can accommodate buyers with credit scores as low as 580 with a 3.5% down payment, where a traditional loan usually requires at least a 620. While it may not cause a problem, it certainly can.

Borrowers with credit scores of less than 580 will need to put 10% down. It is important to understand that while FHA loans are more lenient on credit scores, individual lenders could have more stringent lending policies. This is called a lender overlay.

Pre-approval for a loan is not final approval, something you may discover if you make a sale to an FHA buyer. He or she may be approved for a certain loan amount, but by the time the lender goes to give the money to the buyer, the buyers credit situation may have turned for the worse.

If the credit situation of the buyer does not meet the minimum lender requirements, the buyer will not get the loan.

The problem with buyers not getting final approval for their mortgage is not something that only happens with FHA loan applicants. It can happen in any home sale with any buyer buying with a loan.

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To Get Rid Of Fha Mortgage Insurance: Check Your Loan Balance

You can request the cancellation of your FHA mortgage insurance when you meet certain requirements.

If you bought a house with an FHA loan some years back,;you may be eligible to cancel your FHA PMI today. This option is attractive because it wont require you to get a new mortgage. If your loan balance is 78% of your original purchase price, and youve been paying FHA PMI for 5 years, your lender or service must;cancel your mortgage insurance today by law.

While a low mortgage balance is a sure-fire way to cancel FHA mortgage insurance, it can take a while to get there. On a 30-year fixed FHA loan, it will take you about ten years to pay your loan down to 78% of the original purchase price. If youre not quite there, continue making payments for a few more years, or make a one-time principal payment.

Borrowers who have hit the magical 78% loan-to-value ratio can potentially start saving hundreds on their monthly payments and keep their existing FHA loan and interest rate intact.

Fha Vs Conventional Loans: Interest Rates

Mortgage interest rates are affected by the following high-level factors:

• The state of the economy
• Investor demand
• The Federal Reserve

Though these factors do play a role, its important to focus on the financial factors you can control. Lenders will take into account your credit score, the amount you borrow, your down payment amount, whether you choose an adjustable or fixed-rate mortgage and discount points.

Monthly payments on adjustable rate mortgages change periodically depending on the prevailing interest rate after the fixed-rate period expires. Fixed-rate mortgages keep the same interest amount and payment until you pay off the mortgage.;

Discount points are fees paid to a lender to get a lower interest rate. You pay for discount points to enjoy lower monthly mortgage payments over the life of the loan.

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What Are The Requirements For An Fha Loan

When you apply for an FHA loan, your lender has to follow certain regulations. The lending process will vary based on your credit scores and down payment amount.

To qualify for an FHA loan, you must meet these rules.

• Minimum credit scores Youll need minimum credit scores of at least 580 to qualify for a loan with a 3.5% down payment. Youll need minimum credit scores of 500 to qualify for one with a 10% down payment.
• Mortgage type Youll also need to buy, refinance or renovate a home with between one and four units and plan to use the residence as your primary home.
• Debtto-income ratio Your total monthly debt payments, including any mortgage, typically cant be more than 43% of your gross income.
• Financials Your lender will verify your credit and income as well as the value of the property you want to purchase.

Keep in mind that interest rates and loan terms can vary. You should shop around to see which lender offers you the most favorable terms for your situation.

Fha Loan Vs Conventional Loan: A Personal Choice

If you meet the requirements for both an FHA loan and a conventional loan, take time to compare total costs. You can use our mortgage loan calculator to help see which loan will better serve your financial needs.

If you still have questions, were here to help! Speak with a Home Loan Expert or call us at 769-6133.

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The Difference Between Fha And Conventional Loans: A Summary

Thanks to more lenient credit requirements and a low down payment, FHA loans are a common loan option for first-time home buyers. Theyre also suitable for anyone who needs lower credit requirements to get a mortgage.

A conventional loan is a great option if you have a solid credit score and little debt. You can avoid PMI by paying 20% of the loan upfront, which will lower your mortgage payments. If youre unable to make a large payment upfront, conventional loans are available with a down payment as low as 3%. In most cases, borrowers save money in the long run with a conventional loan because theres no upfront mortgage insurance fee, and the monthly insurance payments are cheaper.

To put it simply, FHA loans are generally easier to qualify for, and they allow for lower credit scores, while conventional loans may not require mortgage insurance with a large enough down payment. Choosing the best loan option for you depends on your personal financial situation.

How To Find An Fha Lender And Apply For An Fha Loan

FHA borrowers get their home loans from FHA-approved lenders, which can have different rates, costs and underwriting standards even for the same loan. FHA loans are available through many sources, from the biggest banks and credit unions to community banks and independent mortgage lenders.

Applying for an FHA loan requires a few key steps:

• Know your budget. Before you submit an application for an FHA loan, youll want to know how much you can afford to spend on a home. Consider your current income, expenses and savings, and use Bankrates mortgage calculator to estimate your monthly payments based on different home prices and different sizes of down payment.
• Compile your documents. Applying to borrow a large chunk of money means handing over a complete look under the hood of your finances. Before you apply for an FHA loan, have all these documents ready to go: two years of tax returns; two recent pay stubs; your drivers license; and full statements of your assets and any other places where you hold money).
• Compare your offers.Getting preapproved with multiple lenders is helpful so you can compare different rates and terms to make sure youre getting the best deal.

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Special Foreclosure Protections For Borrowers With Fha

Because FHA will likely lose money if you stop making your mortgage payments, the agency has established a process to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Under HUD policy , in most cases, the servicer must review a borrower who has an FHA-insured loan and is behind in payments, or about to fall behind, for loss mitigation options. The servicer has to evaluate the borrower using a process called a “waterfall,” which is a series of steps, to determine which, if any, of the options listed below are appropriate.

Fha Seller Guide: 7 Things You Should Know When Selling

Occasionally we receive questions from sellers regarding FHA loans. These folks usually want to know how they might be affected by working with a home buyer who is using an FHA loan. So weve compiled some of the most frequently asked questions to create a sellers guide to FHA-insured mortgage loans.

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Fha Loans Vs Conventional Mortgages

Most conventional mortgages require down payments of at least 20% of a homes purchase price in order to avoid paying private mortgage insurance, along with minimum credit scores of 620 to 640 in order to qualify. With private mortgage insurance that helps homeowners pay their mortgage if they lose their jobs, some lenders require lower down payments.

FHA loans have two types of built-in mortgage insurance that allow borrowers to buy homes with as little as 3.5% downor 10% if they have bad credit. In addition, these loans allow homebuyers to qualify for lower interest rates than they would get with conventional mortgages, all because their loans are federally insured.

• Can qualify with bad credit
• Closing costs are sometimes paid by lenders

Streamline For Existing Fha Borrowers

One of the fastest ways to refinance an existing FHA loan is to do an FHA streamline refinance. This option has reduced credit and underwriting requirements, and no appraisal is needed. These looser requirements make it easier to reduce monthly payments. To be eligible, the loan must already be an FHA-insured loan, and borrowers must be current on all payments. There are some “no cost” lender programs, where costs are factored into higher interest rates. Any upfront costs associated with an FHA streamline refinance must be paid out of pocket; FHA prohibits adding them to the loan balance.

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Can You Have A Fha And Conventional Loan

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If your credit score is 580 or higher, you can get an FHA loan with as little as 3.5% down. By comparison, you’ll typically need a credit score of at least 620, and a down payment between 3% and 20%, to qualify for a conventional mortgage.

Likewise, can you get an FHA loan if you are not a first time home buyer? FHA loans are not for first–time buyers only. These repeat buyers may have little money for their down payment even after the sale of their former home. The FHA will insure mortgages for any primary residence. There is no requirement that you must be a first–time buyer to use the FHA loan program.

Also, which is a better loan FHA or conventional?

In general, an FHA loan allows for lower credit scores and can be easier to qualify for. On the other hand, conventional loans may not require mortgage insurance with a large enough down payment. So in the end, the benefit of one over the other comes down to the individual needs of the borrower.

Can I buy another house with FHA loan?

In general, a borrower may have only one FHA mortgage loan at one time. If at some point they want to obtain another FHA loan then the first one needs to be paid off before applying for another one. However, there are exceptions to that rule according to The Department of Housing and Urban Development .

How Fha Loans Work

FHA loans come in 15- and 30-year terms with fixed interest rates. The agencys flexible underwriting standards are designed to help borrowers who do not have pristine credit or a high income and cash savings become homeowners.

But theres a catch: Borrowers must pay FHA mortgage insurance. This coverage protects the lender from a loss if you default on the loan. Mortgage insurance is required on most loans when borrowers put down less than 20 percent. All FHA loans require the borrower to pay two mortgage insurance premiums:

• Upfront mortgage insurance premium: 1.75 percent of the loan amount, paid when the borrower gets the loan. The premium can be rolled into the financed loan amount.
• Annual mortgage insurance premium: 0.45 percent to 1.05 percent, depending on the loan term , the loan amount and the initial loan-to-value ratio, or LTV. This premium amount is divided by 12 and paid monthly.

So, if you borrow $150,000, your upfront mortgage insurance premium would be $2,625 and your annual premium would range from $675 to $1,575 , depending on the term.

FHA mortgage insurance premiums will be canceled after 11 years for most borrowers if they financed 90 percent or less of the propertys value and stay current with their monthly mortgage payments. Loans with an LTV ratio greater than 90 percent will carry insurance until the mortgage is fully repaid.

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Fha Loan Down Payment

You can put down as low as 3.5% for an FHA loan, but you need to have a credit score of at least 580. Youre required to put 10% down if your credit score is lower, in the 500 579 range.

Heres an example of how much youd pay for a down payment on both types of loans:

• Conventional loan down payment of 20% on a $200,000 house: $40,000
• FHA loan down payment of 3.5% on a $200,000 house: $7,000